Willow branches reflected on the surface of a frozen lake are the subject of the winning image in the People’s Choice Award from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
The image, above, was taken by Cristiano Vendramin while visiting Santa Croce Lake in the province of Belluno, Italy. He noticed the water was very high and the willow plants were somewhat submerged, which created an interesting cross of light and reflection.
After taking the photo, Vendramin said he was reminded of a close friend who loved the place and is no longer here.
“I want to think he made me feel this feeling that I’ll never forget. For this reason, this photograph is dedicated to him,” Vendramin said.
The photo, called “Lake of ice,” was chosen from a shortlist of 25 images by more than 31,800 wildlife and nature lovers who voted online.
The shortlist was chosen from a record-breaking 50,000 images submitted from 95 countries to the annual competition in 2021. Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London.
“I hope that my photography will encourage people to understand that the beauty of nature can be found everywhere around us, and we can be pleasantly surprised by the many landscapes so close to home,” Vendramin says.
“I believe having a daily relationship with nature is increasingly more necessary to have a serene and healthy life. Nature photography is therefore important to remind us of this bond, which we must preserve, and in whose memory, we can take refuge.”
Vendramin’s winning photo and the top four “highly commended” finalists will be displayed in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition through early June at the museum.
Here are the finalists and what the museum had to stay about each of them.
“Shelter from the rain”
by Ashleigh McCord, USA
“Hope in a burned plantation”
by Jo-Anne McArthur, Canada
“The eagle and the bear”
by Jeroen Hoekendijk, The Netherlands
“Dancing in the snow”
by Qiang Guo, China
